The Dark Cycle
by Gallaman
Summary: All is pleasant in the suburban town of Peach Creek until a treacherous new drug sweeps through the nation, much to the dismay of Peach Creek citizens. The local youths become involved in the insanity that comes with the destructive nature of the illegal substance, but their folly may come at the cost of not only destroying themselves, but others.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: A Changed Man…**

Eddy typed away at his keyboard, each strike of his fingers sounding off little "taps" that melded into the meldoy of keyboard tapping that was orchestrating throughout the AP Economics classroom. Every student was making their final efforts to edit and perfect their reports to their fullest potential, not wasting a single second to chatter, sweat, or even breathe. The teacher roamed around the classroom, meandering through the rows of computers occupied by busy students, making the hairs of every student he passed rise in fear of negative criticism and rejection. Yet amongst the air of anxiety, noise, and hard work, Eddy sat and gazed upon his final work. He proceeded to print his final report.

The bell rang.

"Time's up, students! There will be no time to finish what you have written after school today. Print what you have written and leave your papers on my desk," instructed Mr. Sanchez. "Have a good weekend!"

The first out, Eddy strolled along the hallways to get to his locker. Since school was out for the week the corridors were a sea of energetic youths as per usual, and Eddy found it difficult to swim through. After following through he managed to find his locker, and he hurriedly unlocked it and swiped his bag with a swift sweep of his arm. With his belongings he traveled down into the main lobby where he kept his eyes pealed for his two long-time companions.

"Over here, Eddy!"

Eddy jerked his head to his left to see Ed, the lovable oaf. And next to Ed was Eddward, most commonly referred to as "Double D". "What's up guys?" Eddy asked.

"You wouldn't believe the savages in this school! Some senior dripped some slippery liquid all over the stairwell and a teacher fell!" Double D shouted over the commotion of the main lobby.

Eddy chuckled and asked, "Really Double D? That's funny! Who was it?"

"Mr. Ferugio…"

The words put an immediate halt to Eddy's laughter, for Mr. Ferugio was a respected elderly substitute teacher that withheld students with the upmost respect, and vice versa. He was arguably the most likable man in the entire school building. "Damn, is he alright?" inquired a serious Eddy.

Ed chimed in. "No one is sure what happened, but he should be alright."

"Let's hope," added Double D. The three continued to chatter, mostly about unimportant matters of high school nature. They made their way to the flaming van they had called their own since they were young boys. Ed and his father, an auto mechanic, had salvaged the abandoned vehicle from the junkyard and invested a pretty penny in rebuilding it.

"Good thing we can drive home now, those losers on the bus were such a pain," complained Eddy.

"Engine is working in fine condition too; this van is just like the space shuttle in Martian From the Deep 2!" Ed boasted, admiring the fruits of his labor as he unlocked it and started it up. The van hummed and reared out, but screeched to a sudden stop at the sound of a horn. An engine roared from behind the Eds, and through the rearview mirror Ed could see the dreaded sleek, red Corvette of Kevin.

"Did you get your licenses out of a Chunky Puff cereal box, dorks? Or is that hunk of metal so big you can't see where you're goin'?" shouted the loud-mouthed jock. Alongside him groaned his girlfriend, Nazz. She could not resist his confident aura, but she still could not stand his childish name-calling.

"Take your stupid red Hotwheels somewhere else, asshole!" called Eddy from van.

Kevin threw his head back and laughed as he recklessly swerved out of the parking lot, nearly clipping off another car that was backing up out of its spot.

Eddy was sitting in his bed giving himself a break from his long day at school. His disco ball shined sparkles of red, yellow and green hues across the room, dancing to the beat of the soft music played off the old record player. His mind wandered from his AP Economics class to his friends to his homework to Jessica. Jessica. He forgot to go to her house after school. Grunting in panic, Eddy sprawled from his bed, dressed up in his clothes, stopped the music, and turned off the lights. The slide door slid open and close with a "thunk", and he darted out into the dark April evening.

The air was scented with the late evening spring smell of fresh air free from the icy chains of winter. The crispness of the night soared past Eddy as he frantically ran down the sidewalk of the cul-de-sac. He stopped for a second and flashed his eyes towards the forest, wondering if he should take a short-cut into the next neighborhood or stick to the main road. Seeing as he was already late as it was, Eddy made a sprint for the woods, hurdling over the wooden fence bordering the suburban complex with the horde of darkened trees.

Rocks, puddles, roots, and spider webs did not phase Eddy as he traversed through the murky depths of the woods. His mind escaped from his physical environment and drifted into subconscious thought. His mind thought about disappointing Jessica, and making his folks worry. A sudden collision forced Eddy's mind to snap back into his body as he tripped over a root concealed in the shadowy blanket of the night. As he met with the ground, Eddy heard a rattling of twigs to his left, and dismissed it as animals. With his mind set on reaching Jessica's house as fast as his legs could carry him, Eddy overlooked the two shadowy figures that lurked in the darkness of the forest, and continued onward.

Jessica perched herself on the white wooden porch rail, shifting her weight forward to gaze out into the starry night. She sighed with disappointment, yet the bright holes that gleamed out in the tattered dark blue sky gave her some relief in knowing the winter had passed. Her eyes were so fixated upon the stars that she did not notice her exhausted boyfriend jogging around the corner.

"Jessica!" panted Eddy as his hands met his kneecaps. Eddy lifted his head and stared into Jessica's hazel eyes, seeing the hurt and sorrow seeded within them. She was just a little shorter than Eddy, but now she looked as though she were 3 feet taller as she looked down from the porch. Her short, brown hair fluttered with the spring breezes, and the beauty of her round facial composition did little to comfort Eddy now.

"I've been waiting for 50 minutes, Eddy! I was so worried something happened to you! I didn't even get a respond to your texts after school," scolded Jessica.

"I'm sorry Jessica, I had a rough day with my Economics class and we just finished a major report for this marking period. I wanted to chill with my friends for a bit after school and I ended up exhausted so I took a nap on my bed. I'm sorry I forgot to come," he apologized.

"You never can think about me for a little while, can you? I encouraged you to take that fucking class your sophomore year in the first place when you were thinking of dropping out. If it weren't for me you would be working minimum wage for your uncle as a coffee boy! And now you can't even be here for me when I need some help? I just asked you to come over and help me with this algebra shit, but you can't even manage to do that!"

A torn Eddy couldn't help but stare at the pavement; angry with himself, ashamed he had forgotten about his loving girlfriend. He couldn't stand his selfish nature and sometimes wondered if he would ever change in that respect. "Look Jessica," he muttered, "I know how much you care about me and how I changed for the better because of you, and I'll try to make this up to you."

She sighed. "I'm tired of 'trying' Eddy. I want you to follow through and do something about it."

Eddy looked up at Jessica. With a smile he said, "How about we go in and I'll help you out now? I still came to help you, right?" Jessica smiled back and beckoned him inside, and they made their way into the house.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: …Never Completely Changes

It was nearly 9 o'clock at night, but the sky remained blackened as ever. Light from inside Jessica's home burst out into the street as Eddy opened the door to leave. He made his way down the porch but a hand grabbed him by his shirt collar back before he got the chance.

"Thanks for coming Eddy. I'm sorry I freaked out on you, I've been frustrated with other things lately," Jessica explained.

"It's cool, I should have come on time as we planned anyways, it's my fault."

"Don't lose any sleep over it," said Jessica with a sly wink.

Eddy smiled and kissed her, forgetting the door to the house was ajar.

"Jessica shut the damn door! Bugs are starting to appear now that it's spring time!" yelled a stickler of a mother. Jessica broke from Eddy and smiled as she turned to go inside. Her gracious body bounced into the house as she shut the door.

Eddy shuffled through the streets and stuck to the main roads as he went home. His mind once again slipped into itself and thought of how gorgeous Jessica was and how she was such a Godsend. His thoughts of love drifted into those of anxiety as he thought of how he would explain himself to his parents. They liked Jessica, no doubt, but they were very keen on communication. Since Eddy had left without notice and had been gone for so long, there was going to be hell to pay.

Ed roared the flaming van to a stop along the curb across from Eddy' residence. He put the van into park and set his smelly foot on the brake. After waiting several minutes he checked to see his watch, and he decided to give the horn a tap. Honk! The door to Eddy's house violently swung open a split second after the horn sounded, and a one-legged Eddy hopped outside, his shirt in his hands and his pants being recklessly put on as he hopped to the vehicle. Ed couldn't help but laugh.

"Hey it's not like I've ever had to wait for you, lumpy!" shouted Eddy as he lugged himself into the passenger seat. "I remember that me and Double D had to pry you out of your bed with a spatula back in seventh grade. Who knew a lump could get stuck to his bed with a piece of buttered toast!"

"But Eddy, the October Monster Movie Marathon premiered that night! I bet you weren't doing anything half as important last night than watching a monster movie marathon!" retorted Ed as he roared the engine to life once again. The van looped around the cul-de-sac and headed straight towards Edd's house.

"If you must know, Ed, I was up late helping Jessica with her math homework until 9 o'clock."

Ed had a smirk on his face. "Come on Eddy, you two lovebirds did more than that, right?" he asked as he stopped beside Edd's house.

Eddy sighed, "Unfortunately not, Ed. Jessica was ticked because I showed up late to her house. You saw how tired I was yesterday after school." Ed nodded and looked out the window to see Double D walking briskly up to his van.

"I'll have you know that according to my calculations we will be late to school if we do not make haste gentlemen, so I advise you step on it, Ed! But don't speed, for Pete's sake!" advised an annoyed Edd.

Ed stepped on the gas and zoomed out of the cul-de-sac and turned onto the street that headed out for the highway. They raced against the clock going 15 mph above the speed limit down the white-dashed black ribbon of road. Eddy sifted through the van to the back in order to get the full "van experience" as he squirmed in the waterbed placed in the rear of the van's interior. Double D would have told Ed to slow down if it weren't for his carsickness. In a record of 9 minutes and 47 seconds the van hummed into the parking lot and swerved into its designated spot. The "Eds" poured out of the doors and ran for the school building, hoping that they had not missed the first bell for homeroom.

Ed and Eddy strolled side-by-side through the hallways as they headed for the cafeteria. The two bickered about what the answer was to the final question on the math test they had just taken. Ed insisted that he had the correct answer, but Eddy knew better than to trust Ed's pea of a brain. Their argument over the right answer was turning into a heated altercation, but the conversation simmered down with the touch of a hand reaching both the "Ed's" shoulders. Ed and Eddy jerked their heads back to see the bright smile of Darrell Foyer gleaming upon them. Darrell's tan skin, light brown freckles, blonde hair and brown eyes made it hard for anyone to force a frown when looking upon him. His good looks matched his charismatic personality, as well as his usual dapper appearance. Today he approached Ed and Eddy wearing crisp, blue jeans and an orange polo shirt. "Hey Ed and Eddy, I was wondering if you two could join Jerry, Kevin, Chris and I at a meeting right now behind the school near where the doors to the gym are. Think you can come?"

The two friends looked at each other and exchanged glances, then Eddy turned back to Darrel and said with confidence, "Yeah, as long as shovel chin will keep his trap shut!"

Darrell chuckled at Eddy's humorous reference to Kevin, and with a laugh said, "Nice, we'll start discussion in five minutes! Um… Double D isn't with you today, is he?"

"Nah, sock-head is occupied during lunch with his buddies in his Physics class."

Darrell nodded and bid the boys farewell, turning to walk towards the back of the school. "Hey Ed, what do you think is going on with this meeting? Pretty boy never said anything about a club."

The lump scratched his head, dandruff snowing down with every stoke of his fingers. He configured his thoughts with great effort and said, "I have no idea, Eddy."

"Typical."

Within five short minutes, the boys had gathered around the in the back of the school. The sun shined down on the school at an angle, with the school's shadow encompassing its rear, hiding the boys from the light of day. Chris, Jerry, Kevin, Ed and Eddy sat in plastic classroom chairs, centered upon Darrell, who stood at the center of the circle of boys. Eddy glanced around to survey who he was dealing with. Chris' long, dark hair shadowed his eyes from sight, and his slouched figure added to his aura of carelessness. Even though the boys were in the shade, Chris' several earrings adorned on his lips, nose and eyebrow shined. Jerry's black, curly afro hung neatly over his head, and his ebony skin complemented the white N.W.A. shirt he was wearing. Kevin wore his red hat as usual, with his red hair sticking out from his forehead. Darrell now carried a small, blue backpack with him. He slung it from his back and plopped it on the dark concrete he was standing on, and did not bother to open it.

"What I have gathered us here today for is very important, and it can greatly benefit every single one of you by increasing the size of your wallets." Eddy paid more attention to what Darrell was saying after he heard that. "You may wonder why I have selected each of you. Kevin," said Darrell, pointing right at Kevin, "You're a stupid jock that has no other aspirations than to bang Nazz and get wasted with your buddies every Friday night, no? And you, Chris, you just wanna smoke weed in the Walmart parking lot with your gang right? Must I need to point anyone else out?"

Ed was poised to raise his hand but Eddy slapped it down without drawing too much attention.

"You all have something of common interest though. Money. You see, I've got some connections down in Chestnut township where I got several people that have started a business of sorts. I invested my own money into their business and it has worked out for me, because right here," Darrell whipped out a roll of cash, $100 bills to be exact. "…five, six, seven big ones! Seven big ones! And only two weeks time!"

The boys dropped their jaws on the floor in pure astonishment, especially Eddy. The crisp, green dollar bills folded so neatly in Darrell's soft hands, and fluttered in the April breeze. "I'm gonna save you boys the trouble of asking me, 'Darrell, how the hell did you get so much cash in such a short amount of time?' Well here it is…" Darrell picked up the small blue backpack and zipped it open. He stuck his hand far into the bag, and after a few seconds he took out a wrinkly Zip lock bag of white and orange pills.

"Shit no way, that's the-"

"New drug around town?" Darrell said, interrupting Chris. "They call it Creamsicle 'C'. It's stronger than anything any of you have ever experimented with. Hell, they say it's stronger than crystal meth or heroine!"

A sinking feeling was deep seeded within Eddy's stomach, and he couldn't help but feel Ed felt the same way, judging by his facial expression.

Darrell continued. "Now I'm not asking you to try this or to even carry it or sell it. Shit is so crazy I wouldn't touch it with a 10-foot pole if I didn't have to show it to you. So here's what you can do boys: You each give me $100 by this week and invest that into the business I have connections with in Chestnut, or you say you're not interested right here and now. Don't be wishy-washy with me, because I need to give my friends in Chestnut a call to tell them how much to expect this week. If you swear to have the money in time, then you better have it, or else there will be severe consequences. Do you understand?" They all nodded. "Now whoever is in raise their hand in the air where I can see!"

Chris raised his immediately.

So did Jerry.

Kevin did with slight hesitation.

Ed and Eddy looked quickly at each other, but Eddy could not help himself. He raised his hand.

And Ed followed.

Darrell nodded in approval of their decisions. "Good. $600 and I can count on no one ratting me out. Speaking of, you would not be wise to tell anyone about this, for obvious reasons." Not even Ed pondered for a second on what Darrell had just told them. "Have my money boys, I don't give a shit how you get it, just have it in my hands by Friday during lunch. It's Tuesday now. Get to it!"

The bell pierced their ears, being perched right above the gym doors. All the boys discarded their chairs and headed for their classes without a word.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Anxiety's Illness **

Eddy went about the rest of his day in deep thought and contemplation; he only spoke when he was spoken to, and only did what he needed to get through the remainder of the school day. His motionless body guised the fast-paced thinking that was working in his brain. It was always when Eddy was urging to get out of school that time seemed to move by slowly; the hands of the clock ticking at their own leisurely pace. But now was different, for Eddy needed every second he could save in order to come up with a sufficient plan that could muster up the $100 he needed for Darrell by Friday; he had three days, including today.

The loud "bring!" of the bell sounded as quickly as it had when the boys had met outside during lunch. Eddy sluggishly pulled together himself and his knapsack, dragging his feet outside of class as the other students made haste, for their lockers and friends were waiting for them. The troubled teen didn't shove through the crowded hallways as he usually did, but rather he acted out of character by letting himself get bumped around like a pinball as he maneuvered over to his locker. Taking his time to turn and twist his lock, pulling on his bag, carelessly discarding his papers into the bottoms of his metal hunk of space, Eddy got what he needed and headed out to the back entrance of the school.

Eddy opened the doors to the back, near where the meeting had been held during lunch. He walked towards the front, making his way past the football field. Two kids were off to the fence surrounding the field, and jerked their heads in panic when they saw Eddy walking by. They decided to drop him their dirtiest looks, but Eddy was too tired to put up a fight, so he shrugged and kept walking.

Ed and Double D leaned on the van, waiting for an unusually late Eddy. At last, he arrived, sauntering towards them.

"Eddy!" called Edd, "It's unusual for you to not be punctual considering it's the end of the day. Is there something troubling you?"

Ed met Eddy's eyes, and his Ed's. Eddy lied, saying, "Nah, just a little trouble in my math class, that's all." Double D thought on it, wondering why Eddy suddenly cared for his studies in math. He supposed it was Jessica's wish for him to pay better attention in school, and thought nothing of it.

"Well, if you ever need a tutor, you know where to find one!"

"Tell me something I don't know, sockhead."

The "Eds" drove home slowly through the back roads; quite a contrast to their morning trip to school. Ed dropped off Double D to his house first, and Eddy was about to say "good bye" when Edd said, "This is farewell for now! The hockey game at 4 o'clock is still on, yes Ed?"

Eddy broke a sweat as he lay in the back of the van, mentally hitting himself for forgetting about the street hockey game that afternoon. Ed replied, "Yeah Double D. The game is on!" Ed smiled and Double D returned it, and the boys said goodbye. Eddy crawled to the passenger seat as Ed drove up to Eddy's house.

"Ed, I need to ask you a favor…"

"What do you need Eddy?" asked Ed.

"Well, you know how important it is we have the money we need for Darrell by Friday, and it's been awhile since I've been able to get a job. So, I was wondering if you could spare me $20? I'll pay ya back, lumpy."

Ed stared at Eddy for a bit, nodded, and stopped the van at Eddy's house. Ed reached into his pocket from his seat and wriggled out a crinkled $20 bill. "Don't sweat it, Eddy!"

"Oh, thanks Ed! You're the best pal a guy could have!" complemented Eddy. Ed blushed a bit and unlocked the van doors.

"Still on for the game, Eddy?" Eddy nodded and waved farewell to Ed, walking briskly to his backyard.

The lights were lit dim in Eddy's room, giving it a relaxing feeling. Music did not play and the disco ball remained lifeless, though, for Eddy recalled that the last time he got lost in a trance of relaxation he was late for something important. A purple-striped, yellow shirt flung like an acrobat into the air and onto Eddy's soft bed. He meandered across his room to his piggy bank, and meandered back around to find a hammer to smash it.

Porcelain and silver discs dispersed all over the carpet, fleeing from the might of the wooden mallet. A greedy gargantuan danced his fingers over the floor, collecting every shiny remnant of what had just been destroyed. He whispered to himself the amount of money there was once stashed within the now broken little porker. "$36.20? Shit, where did all the money go?" Eddy asked himself. He took out the wrinkled, slightly greasy dollar bill Ed handed him moments ago. Ed probably had his $100 from working at the auto parts store with his dad. Unfortunately for Eddy, there were no more positions to be held there. So he sat on his carpet, reminiscing about easier times. He remembered how he, Ed, and Edd would venture out into every nook and cranny of the town they called home. He remember how a simple, round ball of sugar had been once coveted by him more than anything in the whole wide world. He remembered running stands, makeshift restaurants, and little shops to make a few quarters.

Eddy looked up from his contemplation, for the answer had come to him easier than he thought it would have. Perhaps it was time to go back to his roots.

The alleyway sat as it always did in the shade of the swaying green trees of the spring. Acorns crashed landed down onto the rocky pavement as thin flower petals parachuted swiftly in the breeze. Faded white chalk marks lay imprinted into the black alley, with goal posts hung upon their sides against the sturdy wooden fences that enclosed the alleyway from the rest of the surrounding world. The fences made the alley a getaway from everything else, as though it were it's own little world. This was especially true for the two sophomore boys heading towards their usual playing spot in the alley, their sticks marching up and down, sun beating right on them. Randall and Dante rested their sticks on the ground, and took the netted goals from the fence onto the pavement. Randall whipped out his white chalk stick and went to work, reviving the faded goal lines. Dante brushed off acorns scattered around the playing area, and sat down alongside his best friend to put on his inline skates. A car was heard by the two boys as they put on their skates, and moments later the two seniors, Larry and Kenny, skated up to them, their sticks poised as though they were jousting. Larry lunged his stick forward towards Randall, who feign fell onto the ground as though he had been struck. The boys jested and laughed as they typically did when they met up. Rolf swung around the corner, munching on a beet as he strolled down the alley, his hockey stick at his side.

"And you wouldn't believe what the freshmen and his friend called Lizzy Gillman as she walked by down the hallway!" shouted Randall, his short blonde hair shining the bright sun.

The big, muscular Kenny hooked onto Randall's bait. "What the hell did he say?"

"He said, 'Shit, that's the walking STD we've been hearing about!'" The boys rang into a chorus of laughter, and Rolf joined in as he entered.

Dante brought himself together and said, "Damn, I swear, the freshman of this year get bolder and bolder the more I hear about them. I bet Lizzy slapped him up the head real good, huh?"

Randall chuckled. "Well here comes the best part! Lizzy's boyfriend was right around the corner of the hallway as that freshman made his snide remark. So he literally picked up the freshman, kicked open the nearest locker, and shoved him right inside!"

"And the other?" asked Larry.

"Well, the one freshman's friend was a little on the husky side, so Lizzy's boyfriend made good use of the 'Big-and-Tall' version of the locker!"

"Which is…?"

"The garbage can."

The "Eds' ran into the alleyway, their sticks fluttering along with their fast paced jogging. They were disappointed at seeing the whole gang laughing as Randall sneered, for Randall always told the funniest stories, and it was a great shame to miss even the smallest of his tales.

"Ah, Ed-boys!" greeted Rolf as he shook hands with each "Ed". Everyone greeted Ed, Edd 'n' Eddy with much more casual gestures, and started up the game without any further delay.

Eddy loved playing hockey, especially ever since he joined the school's team his sophomore year. Hockey was a great escape for Eddy, because all he had to focus on was the puck and his opponents. Nothing else mattered. The jokes, the games, the laughs, and the friends were a sanctuary for relief, and Eddy needed that sanctuary more than ever right now.

Teams were picked, and Eddy sized up his teammates. There was the lovable, yet unworldly strong Ed. Next to Ed stood Rolf, reserved yet hardened from years of tolling farm work. And finally was the dark-haired Dante, who also played for the school team. Eddy swiveled his eyes onto his opponents. There was the meek Double D, the muscular ginger Kenny, thin Larry, and Randall. Randall had been playing hockey from a young age, and when he was not a captain, he was the first pick for a team.

Eddy skated up to face the mischievous jokester, and they batted their sticks to the ground and dueled off for the puck. Randall maneuvered his stick and swiped the puck to his behind for his teammates to pick up. Larry received the puck and rolled down the alley like a hawk, swooping in through the other players with ease, thanks to his slim physique. He passed the puck to Double D, who in panic swung the puck right back to Randall, who was now positioned close to the goal. Randall raised his hockey stick like the Grim Reaper raises his scythe, and harvested the puck right into the air. The puck soared straight for the goal, but was abruptly halted by the green menace they called Ed. Now the puck raced in the opposite direction. Eddy got a hold of it and danced around the alley, outsmarting Double D and Larry, both who tried to stop him. Randall darted out from his right, and Eddy trusted his gut, passing to Dante. The sleek Randall skated right for Dante, but Dante passed the puck to Eddy before Randall got the chance to block it.

Eddy raised his stick to his waist, and swung. Big Kenny didn't even get a chance to block the speeding black blur as it sunk right into the net. Eddy threw his stick up, just as his teammates did. Everything important was put aside. The laughter, cheering, joking, and playing drowned out all the fears and woes of the outside world. And the alley was fenced out from everything, hanging in the shade of the swaying green trees of the spring.

Kneepads, a puck, skates, and a duct-tape smothered hockey stick sat in a disheveled pile outside on the patio. A darkened figure restlessly tossed and turned in its sleep, troubled by things that could not be seen or heard. Those things rustled deep within its head, and could not be expelled by even the most experience doctor. Bed sheets sprang, pillows flipped, and a mattress pounced. Relief from the fears and woes of the outside world was never a permanent remedy to anxiety's illness.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: One Man's Trash...**

Trays "clinged" against tables as pots "clanged" against stoves in the chaos of the Peach Creak High Café. Amidst the echoing of voices ringing throughout the lunch room, the three "Eds" sat with their lunches ready to eat. In front of Double D was a paper towel laid out to keep his food from touching the "filthy, disgusting, bacteria ridden table." Meticulously put, a salad, granola bar, and water bottle rested on the neat paper towel for Edd's satisfaction. In stark contrast, Ed's brown paper bag leaked a mysterious liquid. He pulled out two slices of buttered toast with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, as well as a homemade pudding skin. Not to mention gravy, in case it was needed. Eddy had a submarine sandwich filled to it's fullest with ham, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, mayonnaise, and olives. It was a busy Wednesday afternoon in the cafeteria.

As he munched on his sub, Eddy reviewed the plan he concocted the previous day in his head. His plan was so brilliant; he got a kick out of reviewing it, just to bask in the glory of its cleverness.

"Okay boys," he began, "I was thinking for our scam that we would take the woodshop projects that students have been dumping outside of school, and head over to the senior center to sell them for cheap! We'll head to the back of the school today and drive over to the senior center in our truck. How's it sound?"

Ed grunted in approval, but Edd disagreed. "Eddy! Those are senior citizens we are talking about, not some regular folks on the streets! Senior citizens are to be upheld the most sincere respect, and undercutting them with one of your classic scams is crossing the line, mister!" Double D crossed his arms, closed with eyes, and said, "I will take no part in your deceptive scam, Eddy."

"Fine, Ed and I can handle it. But we'll need the truck, so you might have to take a hike home, Double D."

Double D sighed. "Very well then. Following your own moral code comes with a price I suppose."

Ed and Eddy dashed down to the rear of the school grounds to where the dumpsters were as soon as they had their bags from their lockers. Both boys jogged, taking the lesser-walked corridors to avoid any unnecessary traffic or suspicion. They bolted out of the school to the outside so quickly the doors they opened slammed against the school building, but they did not care what so ever. Panting and sweating, they arrived at the dumpsters, and were dismayed at what they didn't see there.

"Where are the woodshop projects, Eddy?"

Anyone could have seen the steam coming out of Eddy's ears. "Ugh! I knew something would go wrong! I knew it!" spouted Eddy.

"Are you boys looking for something?" said a voice that came from behind the two "Eds." Mr. Ferugio stood with his hands at his sides, glasses perched on his nose, and red tie hung neatly over his blue collared shirt.

Eddy quickly replied. "Oh, hey, Mr. Ferugio. We were looking for Ed's woodshop project; some kids threw it out here. Do you think you know where it could be?"

Mr. Ferugio stroked his wrinkly fingers across his combed-back, wispy white hair. "I reckon the garbage truck must have taken it away…By God, is it Wednesday already? Boy, the weeks fly by when you get to be my age!" Mr. Ferugio chuckled. Ed and Eddy politely laughed, but got straight back into the direness of the situation.

Eddy asked, "Do you think we could find it at the junkyard?"

"I suppose," said Mr. Ferugio. "It must be a real piece of work, Ed!"

"My mother says I can hang whatever I make on the refrigerator!"

Mr. Ferugio and Ed laughed, but Eddy cringed, because he knew that Ed wasn't joking…

The flaming van slowly crept through its native land, crushing any bottles, cans, and wooden planks in its wake. Eddy rested on top of the van in prone position, holding a rusty, worn telescope he salvaged from a pile of junk they recently encountered. The masses of trash mounded together, forming rolling hills of garbage, trash, and junk. It was as though Ed and Eddy were roaming through another planet.

"Slow down a bit, lumpy! My ass is sliding off this thing!" yelled a slipping Eddy.

"Gotcha, Eddy!" Ed replied. He apparently had misheard Eddy, because the van sped up, and Eddy soared like an eagle into a soiled mattress.

"Yuck! Ed! Come back here!" shouted a livid Eddy. After having a fit of rage, Eddy turned around to survey what he landed in. To his surprise, a few hand-crafted wooden benches and birdhouses were wedged into the mound of crap he landed in. "Ed, I take it back. You're a genius!"

"Genius is as genius does, Eddy!" said Ed, hands on his hips, with his head held high.

"Get off your high horse, monobrow. We still gotta load all this crap into the van."

The "Eds" heaved and hoed, carrying several wooden benches into the van's rear. With every step, dirt mushed under their heels, and with every breath, the pungent odor of the dump wafted under their nostrils. It was almost enough to make Eddy gag, but Ed seemed immune to its effects, for his natural habitat was a smelly one. After loading every single work of wood into the van, Eddy rested in the passenger seat, exhausted. Ed stood beside the van, and looked out into the sky. The sun was setting, staining the sky with pink, orange and yellow liquid rays of light. It soothed Ed as he gazed upon it, for he overlooked the disgusting landscape surrounding him. But a darkened figure blocked his view of the sun, and two more followed it. A drumming came with the arrival of the silhouetted figures, as well as a blazing trumpet. Eddy perched right up from his rest, recognizing the sound.

"Look Urban Rangers, we have company aiding us in our mission!" shouted Rolf. Johnny, Jimmy and Plank followed Rolf down a mound of trash towards the flaming van, where two "Eds" stood to greet them. "What brings you here, Ed-boys?"

Eddy lied yet again, "We're here to collect some woodshop projects, for, uh, community service!"

"Ah!" Rolf replied with arms open. "We are here too to collect discarded pieces of junk. We plan to refurnish them and bring them to the senior citizen center tomorrow!"

Eddy frowned, but thought for a second, and his frown reversed itself into a wide grin. " Really? That's where we are bringing this stuff, too! Why don't you haul all the pieces of junk you collect into our van here? There's plenty of space still left, and Ed and I can help you out!" Rolf turned to his fellow rangers, and they nodded in agreement.

"Very well, then. Rangers! Scout for discarded furniture!" shouted Rolf.

The men dispersed like ants, scavenging for the bits and pieces of valuable items from the world of junk. Eddy's eyes grew bigger and bigger with every item loaded into the van, especially when it was the Urban Rangers that contributed to the hoard of goods. He snickered with delight, and rested with the satisfaction of knowing that he might be able to pull together $100 for Darrell. The sun had set further into the earth, and nearly buried itself halfway when the men decided to call it quits.

"That's enough for today, rangers. You should head home too, Ed-boys!"

Ed and Eddy nodded. "Thank you, Rangers!" thanked Ed as he waved farewell the to uniformed boys. The Urban Rangers bowed.

"And don't worry about the junk, I mean stuff, Rolfie boy. We got everything covered on from here! We can even hand everything out at the senior center for you tomorrow! " added Eddy, eagerly.

"Oh no, Ed-boys! We shall work together at the senior center, perhaps at 4:30 PM after school, yes?" Rolf offered.

Ed and Eddy looked at each other, but they both knew they had no choice but to agree. "Yeah, sure!" Eddy agreed. And so the two parties made their separate ways, and Ed and Eddy rolled out of the junkyard towards home.

"Eddy, what are we going to do now?" asked a nervous Ed.

Eddy snorted and slammed his fist into his palm. "Those Urban Losers really put a wrench in my plans, Ed. What the hell are we going to do now…" Eddy thought about it as he sat in his seat, sinking into the leather fabric. Rolf had said he would be there at 4:30, so if they headed to the senior center early…"We can head there and sell some of the stuff ahead of time, Ed! Before Rolf and his losers show up! It's perfect!"

"Good idea, Eddy!" Ed agreed. "But Eddy," he rethought. "How are we gonna make enough money by only selling some of the parts?"

Eddy didn't need to think for a second. "Simple, stinky pits, we raise the prices! Senior citizens always have a bunch of pension money coming in that they love to spend on useless junk! No problem there!" Eddy felt a reassurance sweep through him, and so did Ed. They didn't want to imagine what could happen if Eddy showed up short of money to Darrell on Friday.

The two parked right outside Eddy's garage, and they went to work scrubbing and washing the salvaged furniture as sneakily as they could, making sure not to wake Eddy's parents. And so, the master plan was again put in motion.

The scent of burned rubber lifted up off of the road into the cloud-filled sky. A flame rushed throughout the town of Peach Creek, making its way from the high school to the senior center.

"Alright Ed, let's get the show on the road!"

Ed and Eddy laid out signs, a stand, several well-polished pieces of furniture, and neatly written price tags outside of the rusty brick building known as the Peach Creek Retirement Home. The two boys settled down the last of their items, and took their positions at their hand-crafted stand, grinning so hard that their smiles reached out from ear-to-ear. In keeping professional, they both adorned white collared dress shirts, red ties, black dress pants, belts, and their finest dress shoes. Eddy knew that senior citizens loved to see the youth dress appropriately. In fact, it was not long before one had approached them with a birdhouse in his hands.

"This is a really neat thing you have here boys! Now how much is this birdhouse here? I left my glasses in my room!" croaked an elderly man with the physique of a string bean.

Eddy smiled and said, "That will be $12.50, my good sir!"

The old man slowly lifted out his wallet, and opened it up at the same leisurely pace. He went through every card and bill he had, and even stopped to gaze at pictures of his grandchildren. Eddy tried to force himself to reserve himself and mind his temper. For what seemed an eon, he waited for the man's payment. "They ya' go, sonny! I wish there were more stalwart youths such as yourselves!"

The "Eds" said their good-byes to the man, and greeted the next customer. It was only after 30 minutes that they had collected a solid $50, enough to suffice for Darrell's payment due the next day. "Good work, Ed! Now I won't have to worry about Darrell's payment!"

"You had me worried there, Eddy! Think of what would have happened… Darrell would gut you like the Alienator did to Gorillazilla in 'Monkeys from the Deep'!" said Ed. Eddy looked at him, wondering how Ed functioned throughout his daily life.

The Urban Rangers arrived on the scene an hour and a half later, and they were pleased with what they saw. A stand, stocked furniture, and labels were at their ready. A note lay on the stand as well.

_Dear Urban Rangers,_

_We had to start giving away the goods early because we had some schoolwork to catch up on for the rest of the day. Hope you don't mind._

_-Eddy_

_P.S. Ed two!_

Rolf read the note to Johnny and Jimmy. They thought nothing of it. In fact, they were pleased that the "Eds" had followed through with their promise, even if they could not attend the service with them in person. An old lady came up to the stand

"Hey, you fellas still sellin' that hand-made bench?"

Johnny took the stand and casted a weird look back at his partners. "We are giving all this away for free, ma'am. We were never selling these for money!"

The old lady squinted her eyes and adjusted her glasses. She then took the glasses from her nose, gave them a wipe with a rag she kept in her pocket, and put them back on. A frown formed on his wrinkled face. "That's strange," she mumbled. "I must need a new prescription for these glasses. I'm seeing things again!"


	5. Chapter 5

_Note: I will probably be changing the rating of this story from "T" to "M". If you want to keep reading, change your settings to display all ratings when browsing the Ed Edd 'n' Eddy section. Or follow the story to get updates via email. I apologize for this inconvenience. This chapter is a big one, and a lot of changes are made here. I would love any review I could get on this one. Without further delay, here is Chapter 5!_

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**Chapter 5: …Is Another Man's Payment**

Droplets of water drizzled down from the flying fortress of clouds. The fleet of gray puffs made their way over the skies of Peach Creek, landing their troops of rain onto the land below. Each wet trooper splashed onto the ground, creating a ruckus. Their efforts were all for nothing, for most people had pulled out their umbrellas to avoid being unpleasantly wet for work or school. It was a Friday morning, but the dreaded doldrums that came with the rain had washed away any eager anticipation of the coming weekend.

Jessica held her umbrella high, up above her neatly groomed brown hair, and her boyfriend's thin-haired head. Eddy would have been in a grumpy mood, but he was strolling down to the high school with a girl that had cared for him more than anyone had in a long time, and even though she could be a handful to deal with, she had her reasons. She leaned against Eddy in a feminine manner, leaned against him for protection from the cold, damp April shower.

"You still wanna hang out today after school?" Jessica asked.

Eddy grinned and said with his usual confident tone, "Sure babycakes, we can't let a little rain post pone our date, can we?" Jessica giggled a bit, and breathed into Eddy's side, leaning more of her weight into him as they walked.

"You're too funny."

"You know you can't take your eyes off me!"

The clock ticked slower and slower. Time's pace had reversed itself, crawling to a halt in accordance with Eddy's mental attitude. Once again he urged to get to lunch, for today was a very important day. He would finally be making more cash in a week than he ever could working a dead-beat minimum wage job for months. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tock. At last the bell sounded, and all the students slugged from their seats, letting the weather get them down. Everyone except Eddy. He turned the corner and ran right into Darrell, who slipped a note, and walked away without a word.

Eddy folded out the note, and read it to himself as he went on autopilot throughout the halls.

_There's a meeting inside the gym for all the custodians. They were originally set to be meeting at the front of the school outside, but the weather has pushed them in. We must meet after school in the back, as we did before. My apologies, gentlemen._

Another plan foiled. Jessica would be disappointed again if she did not see Eddy in the lobby after school. His girlfriend was important, but the money…

"Hey, dork!" The familiar voice couldn't be mistaken to come from anyone else but Kevin. "Eddy, I need your help man!"

Several wise ass remarks popped into Eddy's head, but he wasn't in the mood to bust Kevin's balls at the moment.

"What do you want, shovel-chin? I don't have time for your shit today!" groaned Eddy.

"You wouldn't believe it, some other dork took my lunch bag from my locker!"

"So what? Can't go for another four hours without any food, huh?"

Kevin pulled Eddy up closer. "You don't understand, pipsqueak! My money was in there!" Kevin's tone went from aggressive to pathetic. He was at such a loss he resorted to asking Eddy for assistance, of all people. "Please help me, man! Remember we used to be cool back that one summer?"

Eddy did remember. He thought about how great him and Kevin actually got along. High school had changed that, though. A lot of the neighborhood kids fell into their own cliques and did their own sports and activities. Old habits got the better of the two rivals in the end.

Eddy also realized how dire the situation was. Just two nights ago he spent his whole sleep tossing and turning in bed, fretting over how he would manage to pull together his wad of cash for Darrell. "Okay, Kevin," he said, "I'll help you catch the guy. But how in hell will we ever find out who took your lunch?"

Kevin didn't even think about it. He was hoping on some miracle that Eddy would know how, out of pure desperation. Then it hit him. "Double D!" he shouted, surprising himself. "He studies that forensic science shit, right? Maybe he can track who did it?"

It sounded like a plan, so Eddy led Kevin into the lunchroom where Edd, Ed, Randall, and Dante were sitting.

Randall snorted and jested, "Well look at this odd couple! You boys finally get over your immature teasing and decided to share your feelings with each other?" Dante and Ed were amused by Randall's comment, but Double D and the two guys in questions were not.

"Can it, sophomore. I'm here to see Double D, I need his help," barked Kevin

Double D was astonished, for his eyes nearly popped out of his head, and he broke out into a sweat. "What could you possibly need of me, Kevin?" he muttered.

"Some dweeb swiped my lunch bag, and I need to know how to find out who did it! Can you help me really quick? I was hoping you could use what you know about forensic science and stuff to help out." Double D, nodded, looked at his watch, and the gears in his head churned.

He said, "Very well. We must be quick though, for the lunch period is brief!"

Double D had his forensic science kit out on the floor beside him as he delved into Kevin's locker. Eddy and Kevin watched the boy genius toil with his equipment, looking for positive signs of an answer. In the course of a few minutes, Double D packed his stuff up, and shut the locker.

"Well?" said Eddy.

Double D explained, "It wasn't very hard determining what kind of foe we are up against gentlemen. In fact, I'm surprised you didn't pick up on who took the bag yourself, Eddy." Eddy casted a confused look at Double D, and he in turned only rolled his eyes at Eddy. Double D pulled out a blue hair, as well as a red one. In his hand were a few bobby pins.

"Kankers, I should have known!" cursed Eddy.

"What?" asked a nervous Kevin, "You mean, those bat-shit insane, white trash girls?" Eddy and Edd could only gravely nod.

Edd began to remove himself from what was becoming a more serious problem than he was asked to handle. "I must be getting back to the lunchroom! Mother never likes it when food is sent back home, and I still have yet to finish my meal! Farewell and good luck!" weaseled Double D.

Kevin was sweating bullets, and he turned back to Eddy for answers. "Where are those thieves at? You gotta tell me!"

Eddy had to push Kevin off of him to get a chance to breathe. "I think I might know…"

The boys sped through the hallways to the athletic sector of the school building. They tiptoed over to the door of the girl's locker room and pushed their ears against it. Two familiar voices hummed into their eardrums.

"I told ya May, it's not big deal if ya forget to make lunch! There's always somebody with a good bologna sandwich sitting in their locker!" came the voice of a Kanker girl, presumably Lee.

May responded, "You sure were right about the bobby pin trick mom showed us!"

It was apparent that the girls were not aware of the $100 that was sitting right under their noses, which was reassuring news for Kevin and Eddy both.

"So what's the plan, dork? I was thinking you call out into the locker room and distract them. Once they're gone, I'll sneak into the locker room and snag my $100. Fuck the lunch," Kevin devised. Eddy was ready to shoot down the whole idea, but he reconsidered being that there was no better course of action.

"You owe me one, shovel-chin." And with that, Eddy busted open the door and poked his head into the locker room. "Hello, ladies! Heard you might be talking about me?" he feign boasted.

"My little man! Decided to come running back to me, huh?" said Lee.

"Let's get 'em, Lee!" encouraged May Kanker. The two girls chased after Eddy, who dashed in a direction that would lead them far away from the locker room. Kevin stepped from around the corner and into the locker room. He quickly walked through to see his paper bag lunch lying right on a wooden bench. With one sweep of his arm, he snatched a napkin out of his bag, unfolded it, and put the bill stashed inside into his pocket. All was good until he turned around to leave, but was instead met with Marie Kanker.

"Why hello, big boy!" wooed Marie. Kevin clenched his fists, ready to knock out the Kanker girl. He knew that the Kankers were far from what one would call a "lady," for their ruthless and vicious behavior marked them out as tomboys to be trifled with. Although exceptionally violent and short-tempered, the three Kanker girls knew how to scan the every emotion and thought of a man just by observing his body language. Marie sensed the fear and anxiety welling up with Kevin, and she acted accordingly. "You wouldn't dare a hit a cute girl like me, would you?" she cooed. Her flirtatious attitude eased Kevin's fear, and he released his hands from their grip. And the panther sprang unto him.

Everything came back to him in a haze. He remembered being dragged out into the rain, slugged through the mud, and thrown into a house. Or was it a house? An apartment? It was awfully small. He looked around and the world surrounding him started to clear up. Chains of rope limited his movement, as he lay curled up in an uncomfortable position on a pink bed. A large mirror stood in the corner of the room, next to a purple dresser. Family portraits were hung all around; one displayed a woman and her three young daughters standing beside a lake. Eddy knew where he was.

"Agh! Lay off me you -!" a voice boomed from below, cut off by something. It sounded like Kevin. Dread crawled through Eddy's body, and it churned his stomach like a stew pot. This was not one of the Kankers' usual shenanigans. Something much more severe was happening. Eddy frantically thrusted his body back and forth on the bed, and instinctively called out for help, yet his voice was held back by duct tape. The reckless thrashing of Eddy's body resulted in him tumbling over the bed, onto the floor. He thudded with such force; the sound of his impact could be heard from downstairs. The sound of footsteps ascended.

Luckily for Eddy, the rope around his hands loosened with his fall. He used the adrenaline coursing through him to burst open from its confines, and then quickly untied his legs.

The door swung open. Eddy had no choice; he sprawled up from the floor, grabbed the nearest object, and threw it with all his might. Crash! His would-be tormentor fell to the floor, her blonde hair filled with bits of glass and ceramic material. May Kanker did not budge. The vase that made contact with her head was nothing more than shattered material over the floor. Eddy felt tension leaving his body, and fear once again replaced it. Eddy's victim didn't show any signs of consciousness, and he worried that he might have done more to May than was necessary to halt her advance.

He ripped the duct tape off his mouth. Eddy knew he needed to get the hell out of the Kanker trailer, regardless of what means it took for him to do so. He browsed around the room for his next weapon. Digging through drawers, chests and closets, he managed to find nothing that could be of potential use in defense against his kidnappers. Eddy paced around the room, and he found himself trip over a small object on the floor. He picked it up out of curiosity, and was about to angrily discard it until he saw what it was. The pocketknife's blade was short, yet sharp. Marie, Lee and May were probably planning to use it to untie Eddy when the time came…or so he hoped that's what they intended to do.

Creeping down the stairs, Eddy saved every breath and held back every landing of his feet. A single noise would alert the remaining Kankers as well as be his ultimate doom. The family room was devoid of anyone. Eddy looked at the front door of the trailer, but halted at hearing Kevin's cry once again.

"Toughen up, big jock!" shouted Lee. "You oughta be thanking us. It's not every man that get's this kind of Kanker pleasure!" Her remark was followed by another drowned cry for help. Eddy dashed for the door, and opened it up to see the rain still pouring outside. He stepped out from the trailer, but awkwardly stopped in between the doorway and turned his head back to look inside. He reentered the fray.

With every footstep towards the door to the kitchen, Eddy's pace grew slower, and his footsteps heavier. "Not my pants!" shouted Kevin.

Eddy put his hand on the doorknob. He gulped, wiped his forehead, and looked at his shaking hand. The pocketknife was poised to kill. And the door swung open with brute force. The short, pink-skinned man charged through and with a swipe of his arm, he winded Lee Kanker. Lee stumbled back into the sink and thudded onto the tile floor. Marie reached for a rolling pin, grabbed it, and stood face to face with Eddy.

He sighed, and said, "Go on Marie! Hit me! Attack me just like you did in junior high!" A crazed look overcame Eddy's face. A mad grin spread across him, and his eyes glistened with insanity. His right hand no longer shaked; it was firm, and the knife in his hands was pointed right at his target.

Marie had nothing to say. She just stood in her spot and looked into the maddened eyes of Eddy. Her eyes themselves shared the same maddened craze. Suddenly, Marie gave out a huge breath and oddly fainted onto the floor with a loud sound.

Kevin sat, hands and legs tied to a wooden chair. His fly was unzipped halfway, and his hat sat on the floor beside his feet. He looked into Eddy, scared, yet extremely thankful that he came to save him.

The eyes lost their maddened rush of insanity, and the instinctive bloodlust faded from the soul-ravaged "Ed."

Eddy muttered, "They didn't, um… They didn't do anything, right?" Kevin just nodded gravely, terrified by what had just transpired. Eddy still had his head straight enough to look at the clock. 1:55 PM. School ended in 20 minutes.

The two boys dashed into the pouring rain. Wet streaks of gray clouded their vision as they hurried back to Peach Creek High School. Across the forest, down the streets, along the highway they raced. They fought their fatigue, they fought their pain, and they fought their emotions. When they arrived at the school students were boarding their buses. It was not too late.

"Okay, guys," shouted Darrell over the sound of the rain, "Show me your money and hand it to me quick!"

Ed, Chris and Jerry handed Darrell their money. Darrell was pissed beyond all hell.

"Where the fuck is that jock and that dork? Ed, you see Eddy in the halls? He was here today! So was Kevin!"

Ed swallowed the lump in his throat, and he lied, saying, "He is rearranging his locker, he said!" Darrell didn't buy it for a second, and he walked up to Ed to hit him.

"We're here! We got it!" shouted a weary Eddy. He and Kevin stumbled to a stop, nearly doubling up in exhaustion. Both boys reached into their pockets to get their money. All the boys looked at the two in sheer confusion, but Darrell couldn't care less where they had been as long as they had their money. Darrell took Eddy's cash and counted it, then grunted in satisfaction. Yet still, Kevin dug through his pockets and fretted.

Detective Hallman surveyed the scene. The victims were taken to the hospital, and the evidence was laid in front of him on the kitchen table. A red-stained knife, $100 bill, and a Ziplock baggy of Creamsicle "C" spelled it all out. Three girls were buying the drug with the cash they had, and attacked each other while under its influence.

"What do you think, Hallman?" gravely said Captain Geraldo of the Peach Creak Police Department. Hallman did not lift his head up from looking at the evidence.

"I knew this day would come, Captain…" he said, "It was only a matter of time before this shit traveled it way up here, and now it's our turn to witness its destruction full force"

Captain Geraldo nodded and stood beside the detective. He had seen what Creamsicle "C" was capable of doing. The worst side of mankind was evoked with the single swallow of a pill. Although gruesome, this case was a minor showcase of how deadly the drug could be. This was only the beginning.


End file.
